Hanger and track construction



Oct. 16, 1962 T. F. BELL 3,058,147

HANGER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION Filed May 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Tueoooae: F. BELL ATTORNEYS Oct. 16, 1962 "r. F. BELL HANGER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1959 FIG. 5

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ATTORNEYS United States PatentO 3,058,147 HANGER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION Theodore F. Bell, 22513 Millenbach, St. Clair Shores, Mich. Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,426 15 Claims. (Cl. 16-816) This invention relates to a hanger and track construction for use in supporting curtains, drapes, or supporting workpieces which are conveyed in a predetermined path.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hanger construction which will negotiate a relatively sharp curve in a track.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a conveyor construction for supporting articles at a predetermined angle as they are moved along a predetermined path.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a construction which requires a minimum of maintenance.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a hanger embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 22 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially in the direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 2, the track being removed.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a track and hanger construction embodying the invention.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to FIG. 4 and showing modified forms of track and hanger constructions according to this invention.

FIG. 8 is an elevation of a further modified form of hanger.

FIG. 9 is a plan view, partly in section, of the track and hanger construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

Referring to FIGS. 2. and 4, the track 10 is rectangular and preferably square in cross section defining a square passageway 11. A plurality of hangers 12 are positioned in the passageway 11. As shown in FIG. 1, each hanger 12 includes a hanger body 13 in the form of a suspension member, one end of which is positioned in passageway 11. Body 13 extends through a longitudinally extending opening 14 in the track 10 so that the other end thereof is disposed externally of the track.

A first pair of arms 15 integral with the body 13 diverge outwardly therefrom in a direction longitudinally of the track 10 and passageway 11 toward one pair of diametrically opposed corners of the passageway 11. A second pair of arms 16 diverge in the opposite direction from arms 15 longitudinally of the track 10 and passageway 11 toward the other pair of diametrically opposed corners of passageway 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the embodiment illustrated, the angle A between the arms of each pair is about 90 As shown in FIG. 2, the angle B formed by the plane containing arms 15 with the plane containing arms 16 is about 90. As the description proceeds it will be appreciated that the angles A and B need not be 90. The angle defined between the planes of the two pair of arms is 90 when the track is square in cross section. The angle between the individual arms in each pair can be other than 90 if desired. The lengths of and the angles between the arms must be selected such that when the hanger is positioned in the track for which it is designed, the free ends of the arms extend to the four corners of the track.

Arms 15 and 16 are viewed obliquely in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. FIG. 3 shows arms 16 in true side elevation. In the arrangement illustrated, arms 15 and 16 are of equal length.

As each hanger moves longitudinally of passageway 11, the ends of the arms contact the corners of the passageway and are thereby guided. In order to facilitate the movement of the hangers along the passageway 11, friction reducing means, for example, ball bearing rollers 17, are provided on the ends of the arms. The axis of each roller is at a right angle to the plane containing its arm and the other arm projecting in the same direction longitudinally of passageway 11.

The end of the body 13 which is positioned externally of the track 10 is formed with an opening 18 or may be provided with any other suitable means for supporting the curtain, drape or other element which is to be guided in its movement.

Although I do not wish to be bound by the theory involved, in my opinion, the ease of movement obtained by the use of the hanger and track construction of this invention in moving around a relatively sharp curve in the track is due to the spaced relationship of the arms 15, 16 as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 9. As a hanger moves through a sharply curved section of track, the spaced relationship of the arms permits portions of the track to project into the spaces which exist between arms 15, 16 longitudinally of passageway 11 thereby preventing any binding of the hanger in the track.

The hanger and track construction embodying my invention may be utilized for supporting curtains, draperies, and the like wherein the track must pass around the relatively sharp corner, for example, in a bay window or the like. In addition, the hanger and track construction may be used in supporting drapes, curtains and the like such as are used in hospitals to divide and isolate hospital beds. In such drapes, it is desirable that the drape be moved around a relatively sharp corner. The track and hanger construction may also be used to support doors such as are commonly found in the home, garage or commercial establishments.

As shown in FIG. 4, the construction of hangers .12

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permits the hangers 12 to be brought into close stacked relationship so that the drapes and curtains may be moved into closely spaced relationship.

Since in the track and hanger construction the hangers are prevented from rotating within the track, the track and hanger arrangement is useful in installation where the article supported may extend either laterally or even vertically rather than hanging from below the track. This permits the hanger and track construction to be used in conveyers such as are found in factories for conveying work-pieces from one area to another.

Various interconnecting means may be used between the hangers as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 5, projections 20 having spherical abutting portions 20a extend axially of the track space, the hangers 12 relative to one another. Thus, when one hanger is pushed or driven it causes the hangers in advance thereof to be moved along the track.

As shown in FIG. 6 the hangens may be interconnected by a link 21 pivoted to short projections 22 extending axially of the track. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, when one hanger is pushed or pulled along the track it causes movement of the other hangers.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 7, springs 23 are provided to interconnect the short projections 22. This arrangement permits the hanger to be used in various automation applications. For example, where each hanger is used to support a workpiece, the hanger may be momentarily interrupted in its movement in order to perform an operation on the workpiece without interrupting the movement of the conveyer as a whole. After the operation of the workpiece is performed and the hanger is released, the spring 23 pulls the hanger back to its normal spaced relationship to the remaining hangers.

In the modified form of hanger shown in FIG. 8, the friction reducing rollers 17 have been eliminated from 3 the ends of the arms 15, 16 and replaced with rounded portions 24 which engage the corners of the track and smoothly guide the hanger along the track.

It can thus be seen that I have provided a hanger and track construction which can be used in various applications and wherein the movement of the hanger along the track is greatly facilitated particularly in movement around relatively sharply curved portions of the track.

I claim:

1. A hanger for use in a hollow track of generally rectangular cross section presenting four internal longitudinally extending corner portions and being open at one face thereof comprising a hanger body having a suspension portion adapted to extend through said open face so that one end thereof is disposed in said hollow track, said one end of said suspension portion having two pairs of arms thereon spaced apart longitudinally in relation to the track, the arms in one pair extending in opposite divergent directions along the plane extending longitudinally of the track through one diagonal of the track cross section so that their free ends are adapted to be guided by one set of diagonally opposite corner portions of the track and the arms in the other pair extending in opposite divergent directions along the plane extending longitudinally of the track through the other diagonal of the track cross section so that their free ends are adapted to be guided by the other set of diagonally opposite corner portions of the track.

2. A hanger as called for in claim 1 wherein said arms and said suspension portion are fixed relative to each other.

3. The combination comprising a track having a longitudinally extending passageway therein, said passageway defining two diametrically opposed pairs of internal corners extending longitudinally of the track, and a hanger comprising a hanger body having a portion thereof positioned in said passageway, a first pair of arms diverging from said body in a direction longitudinally of said track toward one pair of said diametrically opposed corners, and a second pair of arms diverging from said body longitudinally in the opposite direction relative to said track toward the other pair of diametrically opposed corners, whereby said hanger is guided in its movement along said passageway.

4. The combination comprising a track having a longitudinally extending passageway therein, said passageway being generally rectangular in cross section and defining two diametrically opposed pairs of internal corners, and a hanger having a hanger body with a portion thereof positioned in said passageway, a first pair of arms on said body diverging in a direction longitudinally of said track toward one pair of corners, and a second pair of arms on said body diverging in the opposite direction longitudinally of said track toward the other pair of corners, the plane containing said first pair of arms forming an angle with respect to the plane containing said second pair of arms.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein friction reducing elements are mounted on the ends of said arms.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein rollers are rotatably mounted on the ends of said arms, the axes of rotation of said rollers on each pair of arms being at a generally right angle to the plane formed by said pair of arms on which said roller is mounted.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 including additional hangers in said track, and means interengaging said hangers.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein said means interengaging said hangers includes yielding means, whereby the movement of one said hanger may be momentarily interrupted without effecting the movement of adjacent hangers.

9. The combination comprising a track having a longitudinally extending passageway, said passageway being generally square in cross section and defining two diametrically opposed pairs of corners, and a hanger having a body with a portion of said body in said passageway and another portion extending outwardly externally of said track, a first pair of arms on said body and diverging from said body in a direction longitudinally of said passageway toward one pair of said corners, the angle between said arms being about and a second pair of arms on said body diverging from said body in the opposite direction longitudinally of said passageway toward the other pair of said corners, the angle between said second pair of arms being substantially 90, the angle between the plane containing said first pair of arms and the plane containing said second pair of arms being substantially 90.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein the angle between said arms in each pair of said arms is substantially 90.

11. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the angle between said planes containing said pairs of arms is about 90.

12. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the angle between each pair of said arms is about 90.

13. The combination set forth in claim 1 including friction reducing means on the ends of said arms.

14. The combination set forth in claim 1 including rollers mounted on said arms, the axes of rotation of each said rollers in each pair of arms being at generally right angles to the plane containing said pair of arms.

15. The combination comprising a hollow track of generally rectangular cross section presenting four internal longitudinally extending corner portions and being open at one face thereof and a hanger comprising a hanger body having a suspension portion adapted to extend through said :open face so that one end thereof is disposed in said hollow track, said one end of said suspension portion having two pairs of arms thereon spaced apart longitudinally in relation to the track, the arms in one pair extending in opposite divergent directions along the plane extending longitudinally of the track through one diagonal of the track cross section so that their free ends are adapted to be guided by one set of diagonally opposite corner portions of the track and the arms in the other pair extending in opposite divergent directions along the plane extending longitudinally of the track through the other diagonal of the track cross section so that their free ends are adapted to be guided by the other set of diagonally opposite corner portions of the track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 349,192 Woodhouse Sept. 14, 1886 1,175,136 Dickey et al. Mar. 14, 1916 2,523,935 Austin Sept. 26, 1950 2,589,585 Tomastik Mar. 18, 1952 2,589,928 Jong Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 176,410 Great Britain Mar. 16, 1922 

